Keeping Tim Lincecum, part of two championship squads, is on GM Brian Sabean's wish list for next season.

Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press

Keeping Tim Lincecum, part of two championship squads, is on GM...

Image 4 of 6

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Hunter Pence #8 of the San Francisco Giants, the 2013 winner of the Willie Mac Award, stands behind former Giant and Hall of Famer Willie McCovey for whom the award is named, prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 27, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Hunter Pence #8 of the San...

Image 5 of 6

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Brandon Belt #9 of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated by Tony Abreu #10 after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park on September 27, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Brandon Belt #9 of the San...

Image 6 of 6

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Juan Perez #2 of the San Francisco Giants fields a line-drive off the bat of Jesus Guzman #15 of the San Diego Padres during the six inning at AT&T Park on September 27, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

General manager Brian Sabean made a startling confession Friday, saying he might have been "the most surprised person in the world" that the Giants won the 2012 World Series, a year he retooled a team that won two years earlier.

Sabean saw a window for repeating in 2013, so he put the same group of players on the field.

"It just didn't work for a lot of reasons," Sabean said. "It's safe to say the window for that group at hand is closed. We've got to create a new window immediately, and that's the task at hand."

Sabean plans to accomplish that first by attempting to re-sign Hunter Pence, Tim Lincecum and Javier Lopez, because they would be hard to replace in a tight trade and free-agent market. Then, Sabean will seek new blood.

Many fans want a power bat for left field, but Sabean made it clear the top priority will be adding starting pitchers. Sabean wants to avoid another 2013, when the organization lacked pitching depth, and he will go after starters even if Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong return.

"We need the strongest staff we can get," Sabean told The Chronicle after his annual postmortem news conference. "We don't have a strong staff right now against the Dodgers or the other playoff teams in the National League."

Which makes it all but imperative the Giants re-sign Lincecum. Sabean expects talks with the pitcher's agent to begin soon.

Sabean and his kitchen cabinet have a sense of which starters will be available via trade or free agency, but twice during the 30-minute news conference, he brought up his budget, which could limit which pitchers and hitters he pursues.

Giants President Larry Baer said payroll will rise from about $145 million this year, but he is not ready to provide a figure or say if it will go up significantly, even if the Giants are chasing a team in Los Angeles that has a payroll that has skyrocketed above $200 million.

That means Sabean might be challenged to sign Pence and go after a top-shelf outfielder such as Jacoby Ellsbury or Shin-Soo Choo. Also, the GM is not as confident he can fill the team's holes in the trade market, as he did when he acquired Angel Pagan from the Mets after the 2011 season.

"We're going to look at any way and every way not only to get our people back we think are important going forward, who have done such great work, and more so get a fresh look for us," Sabean said. "If that means somebody from the outside, we're prepared to do that within the budget. If that means pushing some of our younger players, we're prepared to do that, too."

Sabean also sees the international market as a "longshot," although that might be a smokescreen to hide the team's interest in Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu and Japanese pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and Kenta Maeda.

Among the prospects, Sabean views reliever Heath Hembree as the most "intriguing" option for 2014 because of the strides he made in one year. Sabean also called left-handed starter Edwin Escobar, who excelled in Class A and Double-A this year, as the "next guy on the radar" who will get a long look in spring training and could be in the majors in 2014.

Sabean made one more startling statement, about Barry Zito's expiring seven-year, $126 million contract.

"As crazy as this might sound to you folks, if I had to do it over again, I would have done what we did to sign Barry Zito," he said. "I think we learned a lot from his time here, and our pitching staff has. Quite frankly, when we needed him the most he helped us win the World Series. I find great satisfaction and solace in that.

"He's a great person and a great professional. He's going to be missed for a lot of reasons."